[FM23] Football's Strongest Man

[TheGoodRebel]

INTRODUCTION

After the disappointment of losing my Alan Shearer save I have decided to give things another go and start a new save. @DavidBeckham's 'No Room For Racism' save has inspired this new save due to the lack of BAME managers in the game.

So, fresh from retiring at the end of the 2021/2022 season and acquiring his National C Licence, I present to you the 'strongest man in football' - Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Ade built a successful career in the lower leagues of English football and had a good goalscoring record with 233 career goals. Known for his immense size and strength for a professional footballer, he was widely regarded as the strongest man in football.

Ade will be hoping to bring his wealth of experience into football management.

Ade's journey into management will be starting as unemployed in the hope of landing a job and then moving up the footballing ladder. His first priority will be making a name for himself in England before broadening his horizons across some of the top leagues in Europe. 

For now though, Ade will have to settle for submitting job applications and hoping he gets an interview.

Let the job search commence!

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

FIRST INTERVIEW

We are now in January of the 2023/2024 season and after many, unsuccessful, job applications Ade was at the gym when the phone rang;

We have finally been offered our first interview with Harrogate Town. Could this be Ade's big chance?

Spoiler

Sadly not - it's back to the drawing board for now.

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

THE JOB HUNT CONTINUES

Following the disappointment of the Harrogate interview, Ade was not to be deterred. He had other, unsuccessful, interviews with Crawley and Carlisle before he received a phone call from Simon Gauge at Rochdale;

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

JOB OFFER

After a successful interview, Ade is finally given his chance. BEAST MODE ON!

Although he will certainly have his work cut out - Rochdale are currently 23rd in the table with just 9 games to go! - Looks like I will have to add the Vanarama Leagues as I was not expecting to be in a relegation dogfight and I want this job to last longer than 9 games!

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 23/24

MEET THE SQUAD

Ade knows he has his work cut out to save the club from relegation. The transfer window is also closed so he has to work with the players at his disposal. Thankfully, they don't actually seem like a bad bunch and Ade thinks that they're underachieving slightly;

The first thing he does is arrange a team meeting to introduce himself to the players, lay out his expectations and hopefully give the morale a bit of a boost before their first match together. As fate would have it, against the first team to knock Ade back when he was applying for roles - Harrogate.

In truth, the opposition doesn't matter, but it would be sweet to get one-up on them at this early stage.

For the first game, Ade decided to be a little bit cautious and opted for the 4-3-3- Fluid Counter Attack tactic;

Could they make the dream start in his first game as a manager?

Spoiler

The answer to that would be a resounding 'yes'. Ade was very pleased with what he saw from his players who won 2-0, it was very comfortable for The Dale who are now level on points with Crawley and have a good chance of survival. Ade wants his players to focus on picking up 3 points from their home games and scrap for whatever they can away from home. Now that Ade is up and running can he ensure Rochdale beat the drop?

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

BUILDING ON OUR FIRST WIN

After winning his first ever match as a manager, Rochdale went on a decent run, taking points off Portsmouth, Lincoln and Chesterfield.

However, they inexplicably lost the next 4 games in a row to put themselves back in the bottom 2 going into the last game of the season.

Ade was worried about the fact the team had only scored 1 goal in their last 4 games so he decided to abandon the 433 Fluid Counter Attack and went for the 433 Gegenpressing in the hope that his team would get stuck in, create chances and hopefully score some goals. They couldn't afford to be so passive in the last game.

Thankfully, the tactical change paid dividends and Rochdale ran out 7-4 winners away at Mansfield meaning that Rochdale managed to survive relegation and Ade had completed his first objective of keeping Rochdale in the Football League.

It is time for Ade to sit down and plan for next season. He certainly doesn't want Rochdale fighting near the bottom of the table so will set about reshaping the squad.

There's not much to work with from a financial point of view so Ade will need to be smart in the transfer market and look to bring in free transfers and loan signings, as well as looking at the youth team to see if there are any promising young players down there that could be of use.

It's going to be a busy summer for Ade!

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 24/25

NEW RECRUITS

It was important to bring in some new faces ahead of the new season if we wanted to make Rochdale competitive in League Two.

BRAD YOUNG - GOALKEEPER

We only had two goalkeepers at the club and one was 35 years old. Brad looks a good prospect for this level with very good potential. He's instantly become our new number 1.

LUKE GARBUTT - LEFT BACK

Brought him in for his experience playing at a higher level, will provide competition with John for the first choice left back slot.

RYAN WATSON - MIDFIELDER

Brought in from Salford to provide some work rate and stamina in our engine room.

BRYAN FIABEMA - WINGER

The former Chelsea player was signed on a season long loan from Aston Villa - but Unai Emery is already unhappy with me for playing him as an Inside Forward and not as an Inverted Winger - This is one of the things I find a bit silly and unrealistic about FM.

CAMERON LANCASTER - STRIKER

We needed a striker and Cameron fits the bill for us. Someone with good ability for this level and can play well in a number of roles. However, he will primarily be utilised as a Pressing Forward.

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 24/25

OPENING FIXTURES

We've got off to a decent, if unspectacular, start. One too many draws for my liking but I am sure as soon as the team gels we will convert more of these into wins.

LEAGUE TABLE

Mid table but it's still early days - will be good to see if we can convert some of those draws into wins as the season progesses.

EFL CUP

Comfortably beat Chesterfield but then got schooled by Premier League Bournemouth

PAPA JOHN'S TROPHY

Good start against Crewe, let's see how far we can go in this.

SUMMARY

We will have to see how this squad copes until the next transfer window in January before delving into the market. There will no doubt be some movement, but it's still a bit early to say where. 

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

INJURY SHOCKER

Well I certainly wasn't expecting this to happen!

Spoiler

We will definitely need to do some business in January now

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 24/25

LEAGUE TABLE

Ade is very happy as Rochdale sit 2nd at the halfway point in the league. The team have been playing really well and are mounting an unexpected promotion challenge. The players have adapted well to Ade's tactics and have started winning ugly when the going gets tough.

The squad has been strengthened with two new signings (both free transfers).

CONOR HOURIHANE - MIDFIELD

Conor brings a wealth of experience and class to this Rochdale side.

TOMMY LEIGH - MIDFIELD

Tommy is another central midfield player - Ade is very happy with the additions made to his engine room and will be looking for attacking reinforcements next. The three attackers have generally been performing well, but there just isn't enough cover at the moment.

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 24/25

LEAGUE TABLE

We're now  approaching the business end of the season and we're currently in a play-off spot. Unfortunately Fiabema was called back by Unai Emery as he didn't like the role I was playing him in and we started to struggle a little bit with goals and threat in the final third. However, this squad is still massively overachieving.

We brought in a couple of additional loan signings to help maintain our unlikely promotion push;

JOSH STONES - STRIKER

Brought in from Wigan, John is a pressing forward who is going to provide competition for our existing strikers.

BRYCE HOSANNAH - RIGHT BACK

We wanted a new attacking right back and Bryce seems to fit the bill perfectly.

JUSTIN HUNSICKER - MIDFIELDER

Another midfield player brought in just to give us some extra cover and extra legs in the middle of the park.

Now that the transfer window is closed we will have to rely on these players to try and achieve an unlikely promotion.

Here's how our season unfolded in the cup competitions.

FA CUP

We made it to the 3rd round where we were drawn away at Everton. We fought a brave fight but ultimately were outclassed.

PAPA JOHN'S TROPHY

After winning our first game we lost our next two and got knocked out at the group stage.

Ade's first full season as a manager ends without a trophy.

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 24/25

FINAL LEAGUE TABLE

Ade's men had to settle for a play-off spot. The end of season run in was brutal and the goals dried up. Dropping points to the bottom two sides was criminal.

Had we won the final two matches, we would have gone up. However, in both matches we had goals disallowed. Whatever the result of the play-offs, Ade can be proud of his team as they were predicted to struggle near the foot of the table.

PLAY OFFS

Fleetwood were our semi-final opponents. We dominated the 1st leg, went 2-1 up but could not put our chances away. We then missed a penalty to go 3-1 up and conceded a late equaliser to leave it tightly poised ahead of the 2nd leg.

Fleetwood went 1-0 up and we didn't create anything, but then in the 88th minute we grabbed an equaliser to force extra-time. It was a pretty uneventful affair and we had to settle for penalties - which we won 5-4 after converting all of our attempts.

Rochdale were awarded with a trip to Wembley for the play-off final against Chesterfield, who, incidentally, had beaten us both times in the league without us scoring.

THE FINAL

Our board and fans didn't give us much hope!

And they were right not to - we just didn't turn up. We didn't create anything of note and conceded a late goal. 

The season is over, but we have plenty to build on for next season.

Ade has no plans to leave Rochdale yet - unless an unexpected job offer comes in - and is optimistic for next season.

For now, it's time to regroup, assess the squad and see who to bring in for another crack at promotion.

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 25/26

After last season's play off final defeat, could Ade rally his troops and build the squad to mount another promotion push?

NEW SIGNINGS

Ade was very active in the transfer market signing 8 new players;

SHAUN HOBSON - CENTRAL DEFENDER

 

Shaun was brought in to provide competition in defence - Ade wasn't planning to use him as first choice.

JADEL KATONGO - CENTRAL DEFENDER

Jadel used to be at Man City and was brought in to be the new, first choice centre back who Ade wanted to build the team around.

OWEN BAILEY - DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER

Ade wanted more numbers in midfield and thought Owen would provide cover. His versatility means he can also play in defence if required.

KANE WILSON - RIGHT BACK

Ade wanted Kane to be his new, first choice right wing back. Kane is easily one of the better players in the league and could probably do a good job in League One. Ade definitely had the next couple of seasons in mind with this signing.

LUKE MCCORMICK - MIDFIELDER

Ade signed Luke for his versatility. He can play central midfield as a box to box midfielder or behind the striker as an advanced playmaker.

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 25/26

MAZIAR KOUHYAR - WINGER

One of the things we lacked last season were wide players. Maziar was signed due to his ability to play on either flank, or through the middle.

BRYAN FIABEMA - WINGER

Bryan played for us last season and did a good job. It was a bit of a no brainer to snap him up.

NATHAN YOUNG-COOMBES - STRIKER

A striker was much needed. Nathan looks like he can score for fun at this level and will be a very important player for us.

OPENING FIXTURES

After a tough pre-season it was time to see how we would fare in the league with our new signings.

We came out like a steam train, scoring goals and being pretty solid defensively. Things were definitely looking positive. Ade was very happy with how things were going;

Ade is finally starting to get recognition for the work he is doing and has been linked with a couple of other clubs. However, after the great start he is more than happy to stay and continue his work with Rochdale.

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

ROCHDALE - SEASON 25/26

Following a blistering start to the new season, could Rochdale maintain that form?

LEAGUE TABLE

After 22 games we've lost a couple of matches but are still challenging for automatic promotion.

EFL CUP

We narrowly lost to Stoke, although we put up a good fight against much better opposition.

PAPA JOHN'S TROPHY

Defeats against Wigan and Mansfield saw us make another early exit from this competition.

However, this is where the journey ends for Ade and Rochdale.....

Edited March 15, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

COVENTRY CITY - SEASON 25/26

NEW JOB

After holding secret talks, Ade has been officially appointed as the new manager of Championship club Coventry City. This is a big step up for Ade and was an offer he couldn't refuse.

LEAGUE TABLE

Coventry currently find themselves in 19th place in The Championship. Just 2 points above the relegation zone, but also just 13 points away from the play-offs with 24 games remaining.

MEET THE SQUAD

Ade took the time to introduce himself to his new players, stopping short of making unrealistic promises. We have some decent players, who are certainly good enough to remain in this league. I'm not expecting to get sucked into a relegation battle and am hopeful of pulling away towards mid table safety.

FINANCES

£5m in the red, but a small transfer budget to work with in January once the transfer window opens. 

Ade will have a very busy January!

[DavidBeckham]

Quality start mate! I love this idea for a save! Not too sure why  Surely Beast Mode will be in the Prem the campaign after next!!

Edited March 19, 2023 by DavidBeckham

[TheGoodRebel]

7 hours ago, DavidBeckham said:

Quality start mate! I love this idea for a save! Not too sure why  Surely Beast Mode will be in the Prem the campaign after next!!

Thanks mate, glad to have you along for the journey! I hope Ade can emulate even half of what Defoe has in your save

[TheGoodRebel]

COVENTRY CITY - SEASON 25/26

Well, after much deliberating, Ade decided against spending in January. He preferred to give a chance to the players already at his disposal and then perform any required surgery in the summer transfer window.

FINAL LEAGUE TABLE

Ade took 36 points from his 24 games in charge and achieved a 16th place finish. They were just 2 points above the drop zone when he arrived but finished 14 points clear by the end of the season. A good achievement for Ade, Championship football was secured for next season and he could finally start making plans.

FA CUP

We were knocked out at the first hurdle, but in all fairness this was not a priority this season. Securing our safety was the main thing.

EFL CUP

The club were eliminated before Ade arrived at the club.

FINANCES

The club took out a loan of £11.5m to help out the financial situation. However, there's not much to spend so it looks like we will have to take advantage of free transfers and the loan market.

FORMER CLUB UPDATE

Rochdale managed to hang on and secure promotion to League One. Ade was very proud for his former charges and wishes them all the best next season.

[TheGoodRebel]

COVENTRY CITY - SEASON 26/27

Ade was getting ready for his 1st full season at Coventry. After keeping them up last season could he build on that this season?

TRANSFERS

Ade was very active in the transfer market bringing in;

DANIEL BENTLEY - GOALKEEPER

Daniel was actually signed on a pre-contract by the previous manager. However, Ade would be looking for an alternate first choice 'keeper.

LUCAS BERGSTRÖM - GOALKEEPER

Signed on a free from Chelsea, the towering keeper was going to be Ade's number 1 for the coming season.

TAYLOR HARWOOD-BELLIS - CENTRAL DEFENDER

A top quality signing at this level. Taylor arrived on a free transfer and was going to be the defensive lynchpin that Ade built his team around.

CODY DRAMEH - RIGHT BACK

Signed to provide competition for the existing right back, Henry Lawrence, Cody is an attacking full back with plenty of pace.

JOSH WILSON-ESBRAND - LEFT BACK

Josh was brought in on a season long loan from Man City.

Edited March 24, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

COVENTRY CITY - SEASON 26/27

TRAVIS AKOMEAH - CENTRAL DEFENDER

Brought in to partner Harwood-Bellis at the back, great physical attributes for his age, signed on a season long loan from Chelsea.

HÜSEYIN GÜLER - DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD

Signed to provide midfield competition on a season long loan from Dortmund.

JONATHAN ASP-JENSEN - CENTRAL MIDFIELD

Jonathan came from another Bundesliga giant, Bayern Munich, also on a season long loan.

MICAH HAMILTON - WINGER

Another player snapped up from Man City, Ade was excited about Micah's potential at this level.

STUART MCKINSTRY- WINGER

Brought in as cover for the wide areas. Stuart is either footed so should comfortably be able to adapt to both flanks.

Edited March 24, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

COVENTRY CITY - SEASON 26/27

SEASON START

We made a solid, if unspectacular, start to the season and were threatening a promotion push after 14 games;

However, a couple of events took place that threatened to derail our season. Firstly, Graham Potter kept complaining that I was using Akomeah as a ball playing defender and not a central defender. Despite him playing every game and averaging over a 7.00 at the time. As such, Chelsea called him back from his loan and wouldn't let me have him back.

Secondly, Micah Hamilton was upset because I was playing him as an inside forward and not as an inverted winger - despite being the top goalscorer in the league at this stage with 16 goals. As a consequence, his form just fell of a cliff.

These are things that REALLY frustrate me about FM and should have no place in the game. They are just so unrealistic 

JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW

We needed some reinforcements due to the loss of Akomeah and an injury to Josh Maja;

MIKA BIERETH - STRIKER

Mika was brought in as cover for Maja, but he also suffered an injury in his first game that put him out for 7 weeks.

JAMAL BAPTISTE - CENTRAL DEFENDER

The replacement for Akomeah.

FINAL LEAGUE TABLE

We just struggled for consistency all season and could never put a strong run together. Every time we threatened to go on a run we would lose our next 2 games, usually against lesser opposition. Ade was very frustrated as he wanted to push for promotion but the team just never got going. Ade also experimented with different tactics to try and kick start the season, but it just didn't work out. There's a feeling of 'back to the drawing board' for next season. However, it was still a big improvement on a 16th place finish last season.

FA CUP

We made it to the Quarter Final but, despite taking a 2-0 lead against West Brom, we blew a golden chance to play at Wembley and lost 4-2.

EFL CUP

Knocked out on penalties in Round 3 against Wolves.

NEXT SEASON

The aim for next season would have been to try and reach the play-offs. However... Ade's journey with Coventry has come to the end

Edited March 21, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 27/28

NEW CLUB

The managerial merry-go-round is in full swing and Ade has accepted the Sheffield United job.

While they're in the same division as Coventry, they have some serious money to spend. Ade just couldn't say no to a transfer budget of £83m.

Ade will be hoping to mount a serious assault on getting promotion to the Premier League in the upcoming season.

MEET THE SQUAD

Ade already has some very good players at his disposal but will no doubt be delving into the transfer market at the first opportunity.

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 27/28

For the first time in his short managerial career, Ade finds himself under a little bit of pressure going in to the new season. He's managing a pretty big club in Sheffield United and they have high expectations. With a huge transfer budget at his disposal Ade doesn't have any excuses for not challenging for promotion this season.

TRANSFERS

ANGUS GUNN - GOALKEEPER

A new first choice goalkeeper was required. Ade snapped Angus up from Norwich for £4m - he became Ade's first signing at his new club.

TRAVIS AKOMEAH - CENTRAL DEFENDER

Ade had worked with Travis at Coventry and wanted the opportunity to work with him again so signed him up on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

LUKAS KLÜNTER - RIGHT BACK

We needed some cover at right back, Lukas is an experienced player who was snapped up from Arminia Bielefeld for £5m.

ADAM WHARTON - DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD

Ade was looking for a new playmaker and signed up Adam on a season-long loan from Newcastle.

NOËL ASÉKO NKILI - DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD

Another playmaker to rival Wharton, signed on loan from Bayern Munich on a season-long deal.

Edited March 24, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 27/28

FISAYO DELE-BASHIRU - CENTRAL MIDFIELDER

Fisayo was brought in on a free transfer from West Brom to provide cover in the mezzala role.

OPENING FXTURES & LEAGUE TABLE

Ade has been delighted with the perfect start made by his new side. 12 wins out of 12 in the league and a title challenge is firmly on.

Ade will be hoping to maintain this kind of form over the course of the season and win promotion to the Premier League. Although he's gone from being unemployed to top of The Championship in a short space of time as a manager, he is conscious that he hasn't actually achieved a promotion yet or won anything. He will be wanting to rectify that this season.

When the January transfer window opens he will still have a lot to spend if he needs to bring in new faces as he spent pretty modestly in the last transfer window.

SQUAD PERFORMANCE

Everyone is doing well, however, the front 3 of N'Diaye, Bowler and Brewster have been lethal so far. Brewster is out of contract at the end of the season though and has no plans to sign a new deal. Maybe promotion might change his mind.

EFL CUP

We have negotiated our way to the 4th Round where a clash with Aston Villa awaits.

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 27/28

JANUARY UPDATE

After their blistering start to the season, how would it start to unfold for Ade and his Blades? 

Well, we lost Adam Wharton as Newcastle decided to recall him from his loan. In fairness, he wasn't playing much anyway so it wasn't a massive loss. Ade entered the transfer market to bring in a new left back and a striker as cover for Rhian Brewster;

GONÇALO SILVEIRA RAMOS - LEFT BACK

Goncalo was brought in as cover at left back, we signed him on a season-long loan from Tottenham. However, he has become our first choice left back.

JHON DURÁN - STRIKER

We didn't have any cover for Brewster so Jhon was brought in from Aston Villa for £7.5m. He will only play when Brewster needs a rest or is injured. 

LEAGUE TABLE

Our excellent start to the campaign has carried on throughout the whole season (so far). We have looked like winning every game, even the one we lost (away at Bournemouth). Ade is very happy with his squad and has settled on his tactics finally. You'd think only a catastrophic run of results would deny The Blades the title and promotion back to the Premier League. Surely it's now more of a case of 'when' and not 'if' this happens.

Here are the remaining league fixtures that will define Ade's season;

Here's how they fared in the cup competitions;

EFL CUP

Knocked out in Round 4 by Villa on penalties.

FA CUP

Still in the FA Cup and have Sunderland to play in Round 4.

Can Ade's troops maintain their form until the end of season and clinch promotion?

Edited March 24, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 27/28

SEASON FINALE

Ade's boys have done it! They sealed promotion back to the Premier League in his first season in charge, setting new records along the way. Ade paused to take it all in - he was finally a Premier League football manager!!

LEAGUE TABLE

Leading from practically start to finish, The Blades amassed a whopping 110 points losing just two games all season (away at Bournemouth and Coventry) and finishing 17 points clear of 2nd placed Norwich City;

After promotion was clinched, Ade gave an exclusive interview to Sky Sports News;

Quote

Sky Sports News (SSN): Congratulations on Sheffield United's promotion to the Premier League, Adebayo. How does it feel to achieve this feat with your team?

Adebayo Akinfenwa (AA): Thank you very much. It feels amazing to achieve promotion with Sheffield United. We have been working hard all season and to see it pay off with promotion is truly special.

SSN: What do you think were the key factors that contributed to your team's success this season?

AA: I think the key factor was our teamwork and work ethic. We have a group of players who are willing to work hard for each other and that has been evident throughout the season. We also have a strong defence that has kept us in games and allowed us to pick up crucial points.

SSN: How do you plan to prepare your team for the challenges that come with playing in the Premier League?

AA: We know that the Premier League is a different level of competition, but we are ready for the challenge. We will be working on our fitness levels and tactics to make sure we are well-prepared for each game. We will also be scouting our opponents to ensure we know how to approach each match.

SSN: What are your expectations for Sheffield United's performance in the Premier League next season?

AA: Our main goal is to stay in the league and avoid relegation. We know it will be tough, but we believe in our abilities and are confident we can compete at this level. We will take it one game at a time and aim to give our best performance in each match.

SSN: You have had a successful playing career before transitioning into management. How has your experience as a player helped you in your role as a manager?

AA: My experience as a player has definitely helped me in my role as a manager. I have been in the players' shoes before and can relate to them on a personal level. I know what it takes to succeed at this level and can pass on that knowledge to my players. Additionally, I have learned a lot from the managers I played under and have incorporated their strategies into my own management style.

SSN: Finally, do you have any message for the fans of Sheffield United?

AA: Yes, I would like to thank our fans for their unwavering support throughout the season. Their passion and dedication to the team have been a major driving force for us. We will continue to work hard and do our best to make them proud in the Premier League. We hope they will continue to support us as we embark on this new journey.

The eagle eyed will have spotted that Ade's former club, Coventry City, secured a play-off place. Well, they made it all the way to the final against Bournemouth (the only two teams to beat The Blades in the league all season). Hoping that his former players would be successful, Ade decided to attend the match.

In fairness, Coventry got battered but they somehow took a shock 1-0 lead. Bournemouth kept knocking on the door and eventually found an equaliser - but they just couldn't get that second goal. In fact, it was Coventry who put the ball in the net again, but it was chalked off for offside. The game finished 1-1 A.E.T and went to penalties;

Coventry held their nerve and won the shoot-out 4-3 and would be joining Ade in next season's Premier League!

Edited March 24, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 27/28

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP

FA CUP

We reached the 5th Round but got outclassed by Manchester United.

EFL CUP

Lost on penalties in Round 4 to Aston Villa.

THE PLAYERS

42 goals in all competitions for Rhian Brewster. However, he will be leaving us to join Mallorca in the summer as he didn't want to sign a new deal. José Machin will also be leaving in the summer. He won't qualify for a new work permit so we were happy to let him go and continue his career elsewhere.

The step up to the Premier League is huge, it will be a busy summer for Ade and all his recruitment staff as they scour the world for top quality reinforcements. The aim for next season? Survival!

[Vakama2619]

How are Rochdale going without you?

[GrayMatter]

Great to see Coventry join you, I really thought you were building something positive with them but I can understand why an £83m kitty would be alluring. What is the budget looking like for next season?

[TheGoodRebel]

11 hours ago, Vakama2619 said:

How are Rochdale going without you?

They finished around mid table in their first season in League One. However, they struggled a bit this season and just avoided going down. I can imagine it’ll start getting tougher for them, they just don’t have the resources to compete.

4 hours ago, ShaunG95 said:

Great to see Coventry join you, I really thought you were building something positive with them but I can understand why an £83m kitty would be alluring. What is the budget looking like for next season?

Yeah, I was a bit sad to leave Coventry and it would have been nice to take them up and try to build something. Looking at how well they did though you could say I was holding them back!

The transfer budget definitely influenced the decision to move on though. Felt like I could do something big with them. Oddly the budget is only £40m this season - even though I didn’t spend last season’s!

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 28/29

After achieving promotion to the Premier League last season, how would Ade and his troops cope with the step up in quality?

TRANSFERS

ARIEL PARODI - CENTRAL DEFENDER

Ariel was brought in from Racing Club for £11.5m. Since signing him his media description is now Wonderkid. He also fits in well with the club culture of signing U23 players for the first team.

NIKOLA UPHOFF - LEFT BACK

Brought in on a season long loan from Bayern, Nikola is a very promising wing back and is our new first choice left back for the season.

TRAVIS AKOMEAH - CENTRAL DEFENDER

I've been impressed with this boy over his two loan spells with me. We have now signed him permanently for a cool £8m.

NOËL ASÉKO NKILI - DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER

Another player who has impressed me while on loan. Signed permanently for just £2m. I feel we have robbed Bayern here.

WARREN ZAÏRE-EMERY - DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER

Another loan signing, this time from PSG. Warren can play in defensive midfield or central midfield.

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 28/29

JUAN SILVA - LEFT BACK

Juan is a young Peruvian left back brought in for just £500K and will provide cover to Uphoff. His work rate and determination are a little lower than I would like but he's got good potential so I'm keen to see how he will develop - plus he didn't cost very much so it's no risk.

VLADIMIR ZDRAVKOVIĆ - ATTACKING MIDFIELDER

Another loan signing, this time from PSG, Vladimir has been signed to play on the right hand side. He prefers to play centrally but I feel I can adapt him.

OPENING FIXTURES & LEAGUE TABLE

I can't lie, I was fearing the worst after our opening 4 games. Just 1 point and defeats to Coventry and Norwich. However, we actually played really well in all the games and I had the belief our fortunes would change just as long as morale didn't plummet. Ade managed to rally his troops and they got a convincing win against Leeds. Despite the two away losses to Spurs and Newcastle we have had home wins against Arsenal and Wolves. 

That leaves us in 14th place after 9 games. It's going to be an interesting season as we're only a couple of wins from the European places. A good run of form can put us right up there.

EFL CUP

Unfortunately we got dumped out early by Preston on penalties - not sure this will go down well with the fans and the board. Although, after last season, Ade has plenty of credit in the bank with both.

Edited March 31, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 28/29

JOB OFFER

This was somewhat unexpected, considering Ade hasn't won anything major in his time as a manager;

He thought long and hard but ultimately decided to turn it down as he felt t's too early in his career and he wants to focus on club management for now. Hopefully he will get another opportunity in the future.

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 28/29

We've reached January in Ade's first season as a Premier League manager. After a mixed start how have things panned out since?

TRANSFERS

FERNANDO SUÁREZ - GOALKEEPER

We are a bit light in the goalkeeping department so we brought Fernando in on a free transfer from Argentinos Juniors. He's one for the future but can probably push Angus Gunn for a starting spot already.

SACHA BOEY - RIGHT BACK

Our second choice right back, Alfonso Sampsted, wanted regular first team football so we let him leave on loan. We decided to bring in Sacha as he is an upgrade on our first choice right back.

LEAGUE TABLE

We find ourselves in 11th spot. Our home record has been excellent (Top 6 form) but our away record has been shocking (Bottom 3 form). We're not in any immediate danger of relegation and should have done enough to guarantee Premier League football for another season at Bramall Lane.

FA CUP

However, we got turned over by Arsenal in the FA Cup. With that goes our last possible chance of European football next season.

Overall, Ade is delighted with how his team are doing - survival was the main goal at the start of the season and he is on course to achieve that. We just need to maintain our home form and that should see us through comfortably to the end of the season.

[TheGoodRebel]

SHEFFIELD UNITED - SEASON 28/29

The Blades were mid table in January, could they maintain that until the end of the season?

LEAGUE TABLE

Well, the answer to that is 'no'. We had a poor run in Feb, Mar and Apr and dropped a load of points. A disappointing end to an otherwise promising season.

However, we were tipped to get relegated so staying in the division is still an achievement. We can use the summer to bring in some quality to kick us on next season. There's a transfer budget of £60m, so plenty to work with.

THE PLAYERS

Only Asêko Nkili achieved over a 7.00 rating. Ade still has faith in a lot of these players though, they are young and will only get better.

We've also signed the following three players ahead of the new season;

JOÃO VELOSO DOS SANTOS - MIDFIELDER

Signed for £9.5m - João will be pushing for a starting spot as our box to box midfielder.

ANDREY AVRAMCHIK - MIDFIELDER

The Russian wonderkid, signed for £13.5m, will be our new mezzala.

LUIS SUÁREZ - STRIKER

We signed the Colombian hitman from West Ham for a cool £9m. He's 31 years old, so doesn't fit in with our transfer strategy, but we wanted his experience in order to provide competition for the pressing forward role.

After we made the signings we received an offer that was just too good to refuse.

Therefore, Ade's time at Sheffield United has come to an end.

Edited April 2, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

NEW JOB

Simone Inzaghi was given his marching orders at the end of the season so Ade decided to submit a cheeky application, fully expecting to not be considered for the role. However, he was invited for an interview and was stunned when they actually offered him the role. This was an opportunity he simply could not turn down.

This is likely to be Ade's final destination as far as England is concerned - unless he is sacked - he will be aiming to win the Premier League and Champions League before trying his hand abroad. While it would have been nice to stay at Sheffield United and watch how the young players developed, the save has never been about developing a club and has always been about Ade's journey and rise to the top.

MEETING THE SQUAD

Ade introduced himself to his new players, there are still some familiar names at the club in the shape of Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez - although they are all 30+ so will have to gradually be replaced.

Liverpool finished 5th last season so Ade's first task will be getting The Reds back into the Champions League. With a transfer budget of £90m he will certainly have the resources to make this happen.

Edit: Despite finishing 5th they’re in the Champions League anyway.

Edited April 3, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

LIVERPOOL - SEASON 29/30

Ade has taken over the reigns at Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world. With that comes added pressure to be successful. Can Ade make the step up from Sheffield United?

Here's the current state of play as we arrive in January. Ade decided not to bring any new faces in at first due to the vast amounts of players at the club and lots of wonderkids in the U21 squad.

LEAGUE TABLE

This is well and truly a proper title race with NINE teams in contention.

Ade got off to a fantastic start and topped the table early doors going on a ten game unbeaten run. However, a shocking run of form that started away at Everton seriously threatened to unravel our season;

Five successive away defeats. There were, however, some mitigating circumstances with injuries to key defensive players - although defeats to Southampton and Norwich were criminal. It just so happens that Everton are among the title rivals so, while it hurt to lose to them, it was understandable. Scoring goals hasn't been an issue at all for Ade's men but keeping the back door closed has been an issue.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

We've qualified for the Round of 16, it was pretty comfortable with a slight blip away at Napoli and Club Brugge

FA CUP

A routine thrashing of QPR in Round 3. Huddersfield await in Round 4.

EFL CUP

We played a weakened side and dominated the match. Unfortunately we just couldn't score and ended up losing on penalties to Spurs.

So there's still 3 trophies available to play for. The league, in particular, is going to be fascinating - if nail biting!

[DavidBeckham]

Beast mode at his childhood club! Can only end well this. And the Prem table has an unfamiliar look to it at the moment! KUTGW mate!

[TheGoodRebel]

LIVERPOOL - SEASON 29/30

We had a real title race on our hands, how would things conclude?

LEAGUE TABLE

We could have won the league, but a disappointing 2-2 draw with Leeds, former Red Luis Diaz getting both goals, right at the back end of the season meant 2 dropped points and Arsenal capitalised. Disappointed not to have won this one, but we go again next season. We have a massive transfer budget and there will definitely be some new faces coming in.

FA CUP

We made it to the semi-final but unfortunately lost a close fought battle with Manchester United on penalties.

EFL CUP

A forgettable, early exit at the hands of Spurs.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Saving the best until last.. we navigated our way to the Round of 16 and then through the knockout stages all the way to the final where German powerhouses Bayern Munich awaited us.

We saw them off 2-0 to win the first major trophy of Ade's managerial career - what a trophy to start with!

THE PLAYERS

Plenty of goals scored, but we need to tighten up a bit defensively. Despite another stellar season, Mohamed Salah has decided to call time on his career and retire at the age of 37. Alisson Becker has also announced his retirement. A new goalkeeper will be a big focus for Ade in the summer transfer window.

We head into the summer break ready to spend big with a whopping £244m transfer budget. Ade is going to go all out for the Premier League title next season.

[DavidBeckham]

I don't think there's another manager with Champions League as his first big trophy win. What a start!

[TheGoodRebel]

LIVERPOOL - SEASON 30/31

Fresh from winning last season's Champions League Ade had his sights set fully on trying to win the Premier League. How would the season unfold?

TRANSFERS

AARON RAMSDALE - GOALKEEPER

Following the retirement of Alisson, Ade needed a new goalkeeper so he made England's Number 1 his first signing.

JÚNIOR - RIGHT BACK

With Trent Alexander-Arnold wanting to explore his options due to his contract expiring Júnior was brought in from PSV as a potential replacement.

UEFA SUPER CUP

A 1-0 win over Chelsea saw Ade add another European trophy to his collection.

EFL CUP

Birmingham, Southampton and Forest were all dispatched, setting up a semi-final against Manchester United.

However, this is where things start taking a turn for the worse for Ade.

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The defence of the Champions League is hanging by a thread. Two wins were required from both remaining matches to make it through to the Round of 16.

Something which was achieved meaning we finished 8th and moved into the next round.

However, our league form was abysmal. We were thrashed 7-2 by City on the opening day of the season and just never really recovered.

The board wanted to discuss matters;

Ade was set a target of 9 points in the next 5 games - but this was not achieved meaning;

For the first time in his career Ade has been sacked - a huge, bitter pill to swallow!!!

Ade will not be deterred and will monitor the job market closely to see what opportunities present themselves. It might be time for him to move abroad and rebuild his reputation elsewhere. Although the chapter in England might potentially be closed for now, he still has unfinished business and wants that Premier League title at some point.

For now though, Ade has to wait and hope something comes along soon.

[Helginho]

Good luck, Ade! 

[dtown1414]

You're better off Ade. As a United fan, I can guarantee that. Good luck in your next venture. 

[TheGoodRebel]

4 hours ago, Helginho said:

Good luck, Ade! 

Thank you! 

4 hours ago, dtown1414 said:

You're better off Ade. As a United fan, I can guarantee that. Good luck in your next venture. 

Knowing that I am not sure you will be too happy with the next venture when you see the club

[TheGoodRebel]

NEW CLUB

Ade wasn't out of work long before a big job became available. Roger Schmidt was given his marching orders after his side finished a disappointing 6th place. Ade applied, was given an interview and offered the role. He couldn't believe his luck at being offered another chance at one of English football's elite clubs;

Upon accepting the job Ade got straight down to business with his main goal to win the Premier League title. There's no Champions League this season so Ade will have to settle for playing in the Europa League.

MEET THE SQUAD

Ade has some serious talent at his disposal. Phil Foden and Erling Haaland are at the peak of their powers. Ederson is 38 now but still has another good season left in him. There probably won't be too much activity in the transfer window.

However, he decided to sign up Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer from former club Liverpool - giving him his iconic 66 shirt number.

OPENING FIXTURES

We lost our opening match to Tottenham but then reeled off 7 straight wins to go top of the table.

EFL CUP

Our second string made hard work of Reading and Newcastle. We now face our former club, Liverpool, in Round 4.

EUROPA LEAGUE

On match day 1 we threw away a 3 goal lead to draw 3-3 with Real Sociedad before seeing off Club Brugge and St. Gallen to leave us sitting in 5th place.

So far, so good for Ade. He will be hoping his boys can maintain this form throughout the season.

[TheGoodRebel]

MANCHESTER CITY - SEASON 31/32

THE FINAL STRETCH

We are approaching the end of the season and it promises to be an exciting conclusion.

EFL CUP

Ade reached his first domestic cup final by knocking out former club Liverpool in Round 4 and by hammering Wolves 7-0 on aggregate in the semi-final;

Everton were lying in wait in the final. A brace from Erling Haaland and an own goal from Anel Ahmedhodžić gave us a 3-1 victory and meant Ade had won his first domestic trophy.

FA CUP

Another former club, Sheffield United, were swept aside along with routine victories against Blackburn and Crystal Palace before extra time was required against Watford in the Quarter Final. Liverpool stand in our way of reaching another domestic final.

EUROPA LEAGUE

We have coasted through to the Quarter Final where we face Hertha Berlin.

PREMIER LEAGUE

The trophy that Ade craves the most. With just 6 games left we have opened up a 9 point gap over second placed Everton. We have one hand on the trophy. Only a catastrophic end to the season can prevent us from winning the league at this stage. Former club Liverpool appear to be enjoying a resurgence under the leadership of Mauricio Pochettino.

Here are the remaining fixtures;

Only two of the remaining 6 are at home, but they are all winnable games. Ade will be hoping that star man Erling Haaland stays fit. He has been in ridiculous form this season with 64 goals in 38 games in all competitions. 

It hasn't gone unnoticed by Ade that a quadruple is very much on the cards! This will likely be Ade's last season in England if he lands the Premier League title, before he heads off on a European adventure.

Edited April 20, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

MANCHESTER CITY - SEASON 31/32

END OF SEASON

Ade's boys were in with a chance of winning a quadruple. How would the season end?

Well, we lost Rúben Dias to injury, he was ruled out for the rest of the season, which wasn't a great start to proceedings. Fábio Silva then tore a hamstring and was also ruled out for the remainder of the season. Ronald Araujo also picked up an injury so we were left very short in central defence. But we carried on.

PREMIER LEAGUE

I previously said only a catastrophic run of results would cost us the title. We ended up in an unexpected battle with Fulham, but still got the win. However, we then went on a run of 3 games without a win and I'd be lying if I said I didn't start to panic. Defeat to Crystal Palace I just put down to a bad day at the office, but then we drew at home to Leicester who outplayed us. We then got involved in a right ding-dong with Leeds. At this point I was worried the FM Gods were going to deny us the league title right at the death.

However, we picked up again and hammered Wolves and Sunderland with ease to clinch the Premier League title! Ade had finally done it and, with that, had completed the 2nd leg of a possible quadruple having won the EFL Cup earlier.

EUROPA LEAGUE

Hertha Berlin and Lazio were beaten in succession, but they were hard games. We were really struggling with the squad due to the amount of games - but we managed to make another final...

...where we would face Premier League rivals Everton in a repeat of the EFL Cup final.

The result was the same as the domestic encounter with us prevailing 3-1. Another European trophy in the bag and the 3rd leg of the quadruple complete!

FA CUP

Could we win a 4th trophy of the season?

We got past Liverpool to set up an all Manchester final against city rivals Manchester United. The fourth leg of a quadruple was on - we just had to win one more game!

Unfortunately this was a game too far for Ade and his players. We were beaten 2-1 by a Marcus Rashford inspired side. The quadruple dream was over but Ade was very proud of his players.

Especially this man;

ERLING HAALAND

There's not much I can say about him, what hasn't been said already, but he scored a massive 78 goals during the campaign. An absolute monster of the game.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Ade has achieved what he set out to achieve in England (minus the FA Cup) and decided this was the right time to step down as City boss so he could focus on trying to get a job at a top European club. The board tried to convince him to stay, but his mind was made up.

And with that being said, it's goodbye England!

Edited April 20, 2023 by TheGoodRebel

[TheGoodRebel]

NEW CLUB

Ade had resigned as Man City manager and had no idea how long he'd spend out of the game. It could have been a month, it could have been a couple of seasons. All he knew was that it had to be the right opportunity.

Graham Potter took over the reigns at City, which meant he vacated the role of a certain Italian club with a very rich history. Ade knew straight away that this was the opportunity he was seeking. He applied for the role, was given an interview and then finally offered the job (I love how the article focuses on the Liverpool sacking rather than the Premier League title just achieved).

THE PLAYERS

Some good players in the midfield and wide areas. Leão, Tonali, Vitinha and Alvarez will all be definite starters. I'm not convinced with the defence so will be looking to strengthen this area as well as a new centre forward as the plan will be to play Alvarez on the right. The goalkeeper is 37 so we will probably look for someone a bit younger.

There's a transfer kitty of £129m so Ade will have money to spend to strengthen the side.

Milan finished runners-up last season to Napoli, so there will be Champions League football to offer. Hopefully we can get some talent through the door.

Ade will now scour the transfer market to see who he can bring in!

Edited April 23, 2023 by TheGoodRebel